No amount of knowledge
by Thefreakoutsideyourwindow
Summary: No amount of knowledge could have prepared them for this, and that's just what made parenting so beautiful. (Omegaverse, Mpreg, M for smut & birth, UKUS, One-shot)


**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**A/N: Holy smokes this is long for me! To any of you following any of my stories, I am terribly sorry for the wait and shall update them, but for now, here is this baby! Enjoy!**

* * *

**No amount of knowledge**

A well built, 5'9, slightly tanned man lay in the leather passenger seat of a ford, panting heavily in deep, ragged breaths and occasionally letting out a little pained whine. His hands, which were nervously entangled in each other and kept fidgeting were calmed by a smaller and less calloused pair as cerulean blue met emerald green, both nervous but the latter emitting a stability that he could never muster, making small waves of relaxation roll over him.

Before the taller could voice his thoughts, a firm yet gentle voice resounded,

"We'll get there in time and everything will be fine, I promise you."

Offering a small smile, the green eyed man visibly calmed from the other's reaction, and leant over in his seat, placing a gentle hand on the other's swollen bump, and added,

"It'll be fine, for all of us. I'll make sure of it."

With a quick kiss from the other man, he buckled up and accelerated to the hospital without another thought in his mind.

* * *

9 months previous

"I want a baby."

"What?"

The very gravity of the statement weighed heavily on the room's atmosphere, causing the man who was previously reading the newspaper with a relaxed attitude to drop it in shock.

"You heard me Artie." The other replied, crossing his arms over his chest, his confident façade starting to slip, already beginning to doubt the statement he blurted out beforehand and was growing uncomfortable in the silence.

"B-but Alfred, are you certain now is the right time?" Arthur questioned in concern, a little surprised at the sudden outburst, standing up from his (rather comfortable and warm) armchair and making his way up to the omega, wrapping his arms around him protectively, hoping to get a more detailed answer.

Sighing, Alfred turned and met the eyes of his partner,

"I...I don't know Artie, it's just...I feel we could do with another person in the house. I'm happy as we currently are, don't get me wrong, but..."

"But...?" Arthur questioned, keeping his gaze steady as he locked his fingers between Alfred's, giving him support and understanding he must have spent a while building up his courage to ask about something as big as this.

Biting down on his bottom lip, Alfred threw away all doubts and exclaimed with renewed energy,

"I want us to be able to pour our love into something! I want something to carry on our love and something we can share our love with, if not each other!"

He paused in his explanation, already halfway across the room with his arms held high in the air as he slowly lowered them, becoming more insecure and folded them across his comfy canary yellow sweater. Facing the ground like a lost puppy, tears began to form in his eyes and clouded the energy that radiated from the clear sky blue.

"I just want a baby Arthur. I've never been so sure of something in my life..." He sniffed as his voice cracked with emotion, willing away the urge to wipe his nose on his long sleeve.

In three quick strides Arthur was with him, cradling his head in his chest, humming and rubbing his back comfortingly, understanding that omegas near heat often suffered mood swings and can have difficulty controlling emotions, constantly looking out for something stable.

"Ar-"

"Shh, it's okay dear, I understand. I'm not upset, and as a matter of fact I'm overjoyed that you've chosen this. But I need you to be sure before you make this decision, because it will stick with us. I want you to be ready for this- and when you are, I will be too."

With a final sniff and hiccup, his lover raised his head from his chest and gave him his usual cheery smile, albeit a bit teary, and responded,

"If it's with you, I have no doubts."

After a much needed kiss, the couple joined hands and happily made their way to the supermarket to prepare for the bundle of joy they would hopefully soon have. Zipping his coat up and helping his lover with his, Arthur couldn't help but voice a thought that had been swimming around in his head for a while.

"You know you sounded a lot like Francis earlier."

All he received in reply was a harsh hit to the head with the car keys and a muffled but embarrassed 'shut up dude'.

Arthur smiled. This was bound to be an adventure.

* * *

Early sunlight drifted lazily into the room and past the light green curtains with ease, revealing a few particles of dust that waved slightly in the air. Beige, chocolate brown and green pieces of furniture were neatly organised with the utmost precision around the room (to which Alfred had changed numerous times in one day) and laid back with a slightly detached feel to them. All was silent except for a figure in the king sized bed, positioned against the wall and at the back of the room, the door to his right and a walk in closet to the left of the said door.

Rolling around quietly in his little cocoon of heat, Alfred fidgeted mindlessly with his hands, nails and hair, already having been awake for a whole hour. Despite this, he still found himself unable to get out of bed and away from Arthur. Dropping his head into a pillow he let a quiet whine escape his lips. Normally, he would just get up and wait till his lover woke (which was rare as Arthur always woke early), yet found he couldn't this time. _Why do I have to be so clingy?_ He asked himself, absent-mindedly moving closer to the scent of his alpha, moving his head from the pillow to nuzzle his mate's neck. _Surely I can get breakfast by myself-I mean after all, I am me- why isn't food my top priority?_

After five minutes of imaginary conflict in his head-all the while getting closer to Arthur, he remembered in an instant that he was in heat...and right next to Arthur.

Opting to no longer disturb his lover and that he'd come back at another time when he was actually awake, the omega moved to get out of bed when a firm grip settled on his arm and dragged him back into the warm residence of his partner.

"Arthur?" Alfred gulped,voice wavering slightly as his jumpy nerves topped with hormones controlled him.

"I'm here love." Arthur shushed, coaxing the omega back to bed as he gentle but swiftly planted butterfly kisses along his neck.

Alfred moaned at the treatment he was receiving and quickly turned Arthur face to him, moving their lips together in a delicate dance, at first sweet but as time passed passion began to spark. Slowly, Arthur moved to dominate said dance, sucking gently on Alfred's lower lip and eventually moved his tongue in to explore the moist cavern. Shuddering with pleasure, hands crept across the shorter ones body, caressing the skin, pale and flawless to the touch and working his hands through the weightless tousled blonde hair, softer than an angel's wing.

All of this make out session was amazing, truly it was, but Alfred couldn't help but whimper in need as his neglected member twitched and slick now spilled from him without limit. He whined, unconsciously jerking his hips into open air and broke away from the kiss, panting with the need for release and lay his head back on the pillows.

Seeing this, Arthur quickly removed his night shirt and trousers and tugged at Alfred's without much thought or consideration, his eyes widening as practically bucketfuls of his mate's delicious pheromones filled the air. Grinning greedily to himself, he mounted Alfred's waist, taking great care as not to brush against his arousal and gently made his way up to his neck, creating love bites and soothing them with his tongue. All the while, Alfred ran his hands along Arthur's side, revelling in the strength of the strong muscles that lay beneath the porcelain skin, despite them not being as visible as his.

The game continued for a while longer, possessive words filled with lust whispered into ears, a touch or caress of a sensitive area or a harsh bite and soothing sucking to accompany it. All the while, arousal mounted and the room was soon filled with the pheromones of sex. However, Alfred was still impatient, and all the teasing was doing little to help. He squirmed underneath his partner, uncomfortable not from the weight on him but the utter lack of release. Forcing the shorter man off of him and ignoring his omega instincts that were screaming at him, he pushed to all fours on the bed, panting and moaning for his mate.

Alpha instincts taking over, Arthur was all to happy to oblige, the only thoughts rushing through his mind were the primal shouts of the Alpha within. _Omega. Heat. Claim. MINE._ Mounting Alfred, he forced his way into the Omega's tight hole, waves of ecstasy surging through the both of them. Skin rubbed against skin, the friction spurring them both on as the pain let out grunts, whimpers and moans of encouragement.

Grabbing Alfred's member, Arthur began pumping, rubbing his thumb along the sensitive head and increasing the pleasure. His partner moaned wantonly and clenched around him in thanks for the previous action. Surging deeper, he rubbed against a small bump that caused the other to cry out in utter bliss. Knowing that they were both close, Arthur increased his speed, hitting that special spot every time, cries and the sweet smell of sex looming in the air.

Like a spark going off in an engine, it happened all too quickly as the both of them cried out as the carnal feeling took over them, not caring if their neighbours sent noise complaints.

After the knot had fully formed, Arthur slowly, gently, guided his mate back down onto the bed so he was spooning him protectively, inhaling deeply from the crook of his neck, loving the sweet smell. Once their breaths were more controlled and they were no longer panting in a crazed manner, Alfred broke the silence of the room.

"That was," he paused, taking a deep breath, "Amazing." and let it out as a blissful sigh, kissing Arthur on the bridge of his nose in deep gratification.

Arthur chuckled quietly, letting an amused snort of air pass through the man's wheat blonde hair.

"Only with you love, only you."

A pregnant pause passed through the room, causing Arthur to raise his head in question and look at his mate in confusion. No longer able to contain himself, Alfred let his laughter saunter around the room before explaining,

"What was that about sounding like Francis a little while ago?"

All he received in reply was annoyed grunt, causing him to laugh even more.

* * *

Waking up slowly, the house began its morning ritual of small but comforting noises. The radiator clinked merrily as the water began to heat, the old floorboards in the attic yawned and stretched subtly and the tell-tale sound of a kettle whistling travelled throughout the house. Yet there was one sound that stuck out oddly among them.

Wobbling muscles clung onto the porcelain rim of the toilet, barely managing to support the worn figure vomiting noisily into the toilet for what seemed like the hundredth time this morning. With a groan, Alfred pulled his face out of the toilet bowl, already having thrown up all of the contents of his stomach and a fair amount of bile, and ignored the urge to wipe his mouth with his sleeve. Flushing the toilet he made a move to go and brush his teeth but paused when he saw his reflection in the mirror.

Golden blonde hair clung to his head in sweat, yet instead of his complexion being rosy, it appeared pale. Dark circles threatened to escape under his eyes hinting of many moment of sleep being disturbed by that of what he believed to be morning sickness. _Well, I look like hell._ He mused as he washed his hands and grabbed his toothbrush, opting for the slight burn of mint in his mouth instead of the actual acidic burn of vomit and bile.

Half way through brushing his teeth a little too vigorously due to stress and lack of sleep, he felt a comforting presence wrap itself around his middle and massage his back, the pheromones of the other making him calmer.

"Wake up on the wrong side of bed, love?" Arthur asked innocently as he worked the tension out of the other's back.

"More like wrong side of the toilet." Alfred mumbled, mouth half full with his toothbrush and toothpaste.

Smiling into his back, Arthur moved to the side so he was visible in the mirror and placed a kiss on Alfred's forehead.

"It'll pass love, it'll pass."

His hands then moved to his stomach, which, although very minuscule, was bulging ever so slightly. Spitting and placing his toothbrush back in the cup, he joined the others hands as the protectively held his midsection, silently adoring what was to come.

"I know...I guess it's just another one of those hurdles."

Arthur smiled again (who knew such a small being could make him smile so much?) and replied,

"A hurdle worth overcoming though."

Allowing his partner a good morning kiss he made his way out of the bathroom and down to the kitchen where Arthur had cooked breakfast.

"I made scones too." Arthur added thoughtfully, looking more than pleased with himself. Alfred could only grimace in his head. That was one of the hurdles he just didn't think was worth overcoming.

* * *

A couple of weeks later, the morning sickness ended and Alfred was finally able to wake up in the morning without having to go through the whole Ke$ha routine. Yet as one problem disappeared, another presented itself, grinning in full menacing delight with the misery it caused this member.

Many a time now, Alfred would find himself having, well, _strange_ cravings. He would find himself halfway through a daily task such as brushing his hair or putting on his shoes when he would develop a sudden need for a food. Hell, one time he even felt like eating some God damn surströmming!* He may be able to stomach all sorts of food, but after the weeks of morning sickness, he wasn't the most confident that his stomach could handle it.

And that is how he found himself in this current predicament, sat down at the kitchen table eating radish dunked in Greek yoghurt and with a side of chocolate sauce and relish.

At three in the fucking morning.

Sighing, he finished off what was left of the bizarre not quite so midnight snack (which at this point in time currently tasted heavenly) and make his way to clean the dishes along with the area (as he had looked so desperately for the items he practically tore through the cupboards). Half way through doing so he felt somebody's eyes on his back and turned to see the forest green practically glowing in the moonlight.

"Has it become your duty to stalk me at the most random of times or am I just really loud?"

Arthur merely chuckled at this and moved towards him, placing his hands on Alfred's hips and purred in a low and dominating tone that left nothing to be discussed into his ear.

"Come back to bed, love."

_Well_, Alfred reasoned, following Arthur up the stairs being kissed and held protectively all the way as if he could break at any given moment, _there are upsides to this pregnancy thing too._

The following morning the neighbours made a noise complaint.

* * *

The sound of a door slamming resounded through the house, decreeing the argument finished as the instigator went and willed the rest of his negative hormones away. Arthur sighed, leaning against the island counter top. _How am I supposed to be his sturdy Alpha if he keeps pushing me away?_ Thoughts continued to swim around in his head as he made his way to the cupboards to make himself some earl grey tea, of which never failed to soothe his frazzled nerves when tensions ran too high.

Making his way back to the island counter, Arthur pulled up a nearby stool and sat poised on it, sipping at his tea in a seemingly relaxed manner, yet his thoughts continued to worry for his mate. _Is he truly mad at me? What did I do wrong? No...maybe it's just mood swings, pregnant Omegas tend to be hormonal. ...But what if it's not that? Maybe there's something he's not telling me, would that explain why he's upset?_

Stifling silence passed through the light oak and marble kitchen for what seemed like an eternity, but was suddenly broken by a sighed, "Blast it." as the man stood up, pouring the rest of his tea down the drain and made his way upstairs to their bedroom, no longer caring about the previous argument and just wanting Alfred to be carefree again. Even if it was only hormones, it upset him to see Alfred downtrodden, and he wouldn't want the stress to harm their growing other family member either.

Quietly, Arthur paused in front of their cream white bedroom door, knocking in a hushed tone with an accompanies whisper of, "I'm coming in."

Opening the door, the Alpha discovered his mate sat upright, curled into himself on their bed and sauntered up to him effortlessly. Kneeling down he hugged the slightly taller male, eventually coaxing him to look up at the other.

Puffy red eyes greeted him, irritated from crying and the sky blue orbs held not only insecurity, but frustration at not being able to control his own emotions as well. His nose was a light cherry pink and would sniffle occasionally to avoid making a mess, his lower lip sticking out slightly as it trembled. Arthur's heart practically broke at the sight.

"Oh love, tell me what's wrong." He cooed, gently rubbing circles into the younger Omega's back to work away the tension and hopefully rid him of any more sobs.

"I-" His voice cracked slightly before he cleared his throat and tried again, "I'm sorry..."

"For what, love?" Arthur asked, emeralds looking expectantly into sapphires a darker hue from crying.

"It's just stupid mood swings, nothing else..." He mumbled, breaking away from the gaze and looking down at the bed, embarrassed that he was being coddled so much. He was supposed to be strong like the heroes!

A dry chuckle escaped Arthur as he tried to lighten the mood, which was nice, but was failing horribly. "If anyone needs to apologize, it'd be me for being so stubborn."

"I thought they said that you should try to be somebody you're not?" Alfred retorted with a cheeky grin plastered on his face, his rambunctious laugh echoing throughout the house accompanied by muffled curses of his partner.

Even if they weren't the perfect couple, neither wanted any less than each other.

* * *

"Ugh, my back is killing me." Alfred complained irritably, placing his hands on the sore area in hopes of working out the dull ache that had been forcing itself upon him for the past few days. It had started out small enough, just nagging quietly in his lower back when he woke up, but he had chosen to ignore it. That was Monday.

It was now Friday evening.

Setting the paper down on the coffee table, Arthur made his way over to Alfred, eyes raking over his mate's body as he did so. Light grey sweatpants rested comfortably on his hips, the gentle elastic supporting his steadily growing waist. A loose fitting cotton sweatshirt of the same colour hugged his body without being too tight, giving him room to move if needed. His stomach had gradually grown larger and was now showing easily as he was five months pregnant, but looked a little larger than he had seen pregnant Omegas previously at this stage.

"Sit down for a while then," Arthur reasoned, guiding his pregnant mate back to the couch, "God forbid I may even watch some of your American television with you."

Alfred seemed to perk up greatly to this and dashed back to the couch with a loud 'WHOOP!' as if his back never hurt in the first place. Yet as they watched some cheesy American sitcom that Arthur could not for the life of him care to remember, he kept noticing his mate shuffling, as if in discomfort, yet every time he was about to ask it, the shuffling would die down and Alfred would be contently watching the show.

Turning his head over to see him, he observed how the techni-colour of the television seem to dance across his glasses, reflecting the show. Yet he could easily note the obvious discomfort in his mate's eyes.

"Alfred, are you all right?" Arthur asked, looking over at him in concern.

The question made the America jump slightly in his seat after having blocked out the sound coming from the television trying to get comfortable. Smiling awkwardly, he responded,

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just..."

"Just what?" Arthur pressed, brows furrowed in concern.

Alfred sighed inwardly to himself. _I can never hide anything from him, can I?_ He smiled again, but this time it held embarrassment.

"I'm fine, it's just, well...every time I get comfortable, five seconds later I'm uncomfortable again so I shift my position so that just makes it worse. It's nothing though dude, don't worry." He laughed at the end, relaxing back into the couch but pausing when he saw Arthur deep in thought.

"Hey Iggy, don't get all stoic on me." He laughed again, wondering why he was so worked up over a tiny little thing. However, the man stayed poised in that motion, hand gentle storing his chin and eyes clouded in though for a while, which was starting to freak Alfred out. Yet just as he was about to ask if he was okay and not going totally insane on him, Arthur sprung up like a jack in the box and nearly pounced Alfred, making him yelp in surprise.

"A-arthur, w-what are you-" Alfred stuttered but was quickly shushed by one of his thin yet sturdy fingers.

"If you're uncomfortable then let me relax you..." The man's now acidic green eyes held a sinful lust to them that made Alfred shudder, his low voice sending vibrations through him and causing blood to pool in his lower areas.

"A-Arthur!" Alfred moaned out as the man slowly lavished his neck with bite marks and ripped off his shirt to admire his rather swollen stomach. "I-I can't, not when pregnant..." As much as he liked this, he seriously didn't think this would help the baby in the long term.

Arthur merely chuckled against the man's skin as he peppered his mate with kisses and delivered a rough lick to his cherry pink navel, making the man below him gasp. "I wasn't planning on that, love." He purred sensually, lowering his mouth down to the loosely tied strings of the Omega's sweat pants.

Alfred could only whimper as his mate slowly undid the strings to his pants, his straining erection now blatantly evident as the dance continued it's teasingly slow pace. The Alpha's grin only widened as he felt his mate squirming underneath him uncomfortably, but this time for different reasons. Deciding to at least give _some_ mercy, he massaged at his partner's growing need through the strained trousers, revelling in the moans that were given in response.

Knowing that if he waited much longer, Alfred would get irritable, he yanked the trousers off in one swift motion, the Omega having chosen not to wear underwear over comfort. The drastic difference in the speed and temperature caused Alfred to cry out as cool air hit his rapidly hardening sex. Leaning in, Arthur allowed his hot breath to ghost over the tip of his mate's excitement, causing it to twitch in anticipation. Slowly, he gave a lasting lick across the head, delving slightly into the slit and causing his mate to cry out. A whole minute passed this way and as much as Alfred was loving this, his impatient side was starting to show.

"Nnngh...A-Arthur...Hnnn..." Alfred whined, his glasses completely fogged up, a heavy crimson blush spread across his cheeks and panting in heavy strained breaths.

Looking over his partner's swelled stomach, Arthur regarded him with lust filled eyes.

"Yes, love?"

"Please...stop teasing..." The younger pleaded, squirming in desire.

Grinning sadistically, Arthur lowered one of his fingers to Alfred's entrance, but maintained eye contact with him. "Teasing?" He taunted, "You mean like...this?" At the end of his sentence he brushed a fingertip over his twitching, slick entrance and was met with a half-hearted buck due to his bulging stomach holding him down and a loud whine. Smiling with actually comfort this time, he whispered, "Just leave it all to me, love."

Before Alfred even had time to react, he felt his length become fully engulfed in the hot cavern of his lover's mouth and moaned loudly at the feeling of hitting the back of the man's throat. Every lick, bob and suck was met with a loud wanton moan, the mouth adjusting every few times to deliver a particularly hard suck or to tease with the slit. He was sure that he could hear Arthur fumbling with something in the background, but was too caught up in the event to care. It was only when the mouth moved away from his length that he was pulled from his pleasure and brought back to reality, whining slightly. However, he was quickly cut short by Arthur.

"Spread your legs a little more, love." He purred, massaging Alfred's thigh, and, although it brought pleasure, it wasn't very much compared to earlier.

Slightly confused, Alfred arched a brow in question, but obeyed none the less. _He knows that we can't have normal sex, so why is he..._Yet before he could ask what he was doing (Arthur always seemed to cut him off in the perfect time) he felt a slick finger work around his hole.

Nnngh...Arthuuur.."

Smirking yet again the man lowered himself to Alfred's erection and before he resumed his previous action, he whispered, "Relax yourself."

Nodding, Alfred let his head fall back onto the well padded couch and closed his eyes to immerse himself in the pleasurable feeling. Warmth gently but firmly sucked at his cock as two soft fingers gradually worked at his inner walls, driving deeper to try and find his sweet spot. Suddenly, pleasure flared up and shocked his body, causing him to bounce slightly as the bump was rubbed.

"GAH!" A scream tore through him as his insides clenched around the fingers, knowing exactly what it hit. Arthur only smiled around his erection as he continued to work him more. All too soon, the burning coil of pleasure was beginning to wind up in his stomach, forcing him to buck feebly, but thankfully Arthur had him pinned down with one hand.

"Hhnnnggg..hah...hah...Arthuuuurrr~ I-I'm gonna..."

Alfred trailed off, panting heavily and unable to keep on with his sentence. However, Arthur understood the message loud and clear, speeding up his fingers rubbing harshly against his walls hitting his prostate every time as he hummed a low tune, the vibrations coursing through Alfred's cock. After five seconds of this, Alfred came.

"ARTHUR!" He screamed, ecstasy coursing though his body as wave after wave of pleasure hit him. Relaxing his throat so he wouldn't choke, the Alpha quickly swallowed all of his mate's slightly bitter seed to avoid making a mess; both were trying to regain their breath after the ordeal.

A comfortable silence passed through the room as the two relaxed comfortably. Realising something, Arthur pulled up Alfred's pants as the blinds were open. No one was currently passing by the window using the short cut, but it was a well used path. Sighing contently, Arthur asked,

"Comfortable now, love?"

Yet when he looked over to the American, he was fast asleep.

* * *

Sighing, Alfred looked over at the mirror in slight distaste at his bulging stomach. He loved his child, he really did, but he completely forgot about the stretch marks. Tracing the red waves across his skin for a little while, he failed to notice another person entering the bedroom with him. He jumped when he felt hands on his shoulders, but relaxed instantly afterwards knowing who that scent belonged to.

"Something wrong?" Arthur asked, gently nibbling on his ear. He seemed to be doing the former a lot recently, as if Alfred was a piece of china that could shatter at any minute.

"No, just...thinking." Alfred replied distantly, looking into Arthur's eyes using the mirror.

"About what?" He questioned, his voice holding curiosity and not the worry that seemed to escape every time Alfred so much as tried to lift a pillow.

Gently, his fingers absent-mindedly trailed across his not 7 month pregnant stomach, pressing in lightly to the sun kissed skin. He had to look away from Arthur before he said the next sentence because _God dammit_ these hormones are hard to control. "Do you think we'll...you know, manage with this whole parenting thing?"

"Are you scared?"

The question was not one of taunt, as if he was foolish enough to be scared of having children. Nor was it one of worry, as if he would think of giving up the children. No, this question was one that welcomed him to speak, that would give him security and warm arms to hold him up when he felt weak, even if he said he was strong.

An uncertain strained chuckle was all that Arthur received in response, yet he knew that Alfred was saying yes, even though his mate's thoughts were probably of that to stay strong and be hero like, not being prissy about small issues. Drawing in a breath, Arthur cupped Alfred's cheek, forcing the sky blues beginning to water with tears to look into the now calming emerald and spoke,

"Alfred, I have no doubt that parenting will be a difficult task and a very scary one. There may be times when you feel like giving up, and trust me there shall be times, my poor mother had to go through five rambunctious boys." He paused a moment to chuckle at the memory, and then resumed with his message. "No one is ever truly ready to be a parent Alfred, and no amount of knowledge will ever change that. It will be scary, but that's what makes it so...well as Gilbert would say, 'awesome' I suppose, but..." He trailed off slightly and looked deep into those sky blues he had fallen for long ago, "Know this, you will never be alone. I will be by your side always and, well..."

Arthur paused, unable to think of anything else, but hearing Alfred chuckle he knew he didn't need to say anything else.

"I totally remember you saying you're not one for words, dude. I probably could have listened to the I dreamed a dream speech in that time!" Alfred laughed, his mood quickly bouncing upwards again whilst Arthur folded his arms across his chest, blushing deeply in embarrassment. But a little while later the laughing died down and he was held in a hug that he was not at all expecting.

"What-?" Arthur looked up in surprise to see Alfred grinning at him like a madman.

"I know you may think talking like that makes me feel like a bit of a wimp..." _And it kinda does..._a voice in his head added, but he ignored it, "But just talking like this does help so...thanks." The omega smiled, all the previous worry he had been holding on his shoulders was now gone and he wasn't so freaked out about the whole pregnancy thing.

Arthur blushed fervently at the thank you from his mate and kept muttering excuses about 'alpha's nature to protect omegas' or 'you don't seem the same when sad' but regardless of all of the mindless cussing, Arthur truly couldn't be happier.

* * *

"ARTIE! Hurry up!" Alfred shouted, running, or more accurately, hobbling at a surprisingly fast and awkward rate for being 8 months pregnant as Arthur chased after him, worried he might trip and hurt himself _and the child_ he added mentally as he sprinted down the grass bank. And knowing Alfred, there was just no way he wouldn't harm himself in some way, shape, or form.

"Slow down Alfred!" He exclaimed, nearly tripping over his own feet himself. "The lake isn't going anywhere!"

All he received in response was another one of his boisterous laughs as he got closer to the water's edge, not slowing down for anything. "You worry too much!"

"And you don't worry enough!" Arthur retorted, now within reaching distance of Alfred, and they were fast approaching the edge.

"Jeez, you're starting to sound like Mattie on his-" Half way though his comeback, Alfred's arm was grabbed and hastily brought close to Arthur behind him so he could wrap his arms around him. Instinctively he yelped, trying to pull away out of fear but he knew it was Arthur so he tried to get away to continue the game of chase, but to no avail.

"Gotcha!" Arthur exclaimed, grinning in triumph at his 'prize'. Alfred, for the fun of it decided to go along with the act.

"Oh Mr. Kirkland, whatever are you going to do with me?" He fluttered his eyelashes and pretended to (albeit badly) swoon.

Chuckling, Arthur pulled his mate closer to emphasize his role in the 'game'. "Why don't you come back to my manner to find out?" He purred in mock seduction.

Alfred barely managed to contain his laughter, and used all of his bad fake British accent in a high tenor voice exclaiming, "Oh, Mr. Kirkland!"

Immediately, the two burst out laughing, unable to hold back any longer. Alfred laughed so hard that he was practically crying and had to lean on Arthur for support. Eventually, their breaths evened out and Arthur gentle guided Alfred to rest on the lush grassy bank, trying not to fret internally over every move, the latter of whom sighed contently as he relaxed and they both took in the scenery.

It was truly a stunning day in June. Clear skies stretched over the expansive country with not a single cloud predicting rain to ruin the day. Sun beat down relentlessly on the couple causing them both to sweat slightly, but the cool breeze that travelled across the land quickly took away that problem carrying a few specks of pollen with it. Deep mesmerising yet small blue waves reflected the sunlight in streaks of white across the expanse, making the water shimmer, tempting people to just jump in.

Yet the most beautiful thing, at least in Arthur's opinion, was his mate. Well toned sun kissed arms supported the man as he leant back practically basking in the sun. His stomach, now considerably large as he was in the third trimester, was a very welcome addition to Arthur and found a blush soon forming across his cheeks. A few small strands of his wheat blonde hair stuck to his sweat covered forehead and his eyes radiated an energy whenever they were in the great outdoors. It was almost as if the land was a part of him, renewed vigour coursing through him in a seemingly never-ending cycle.

Knowing all too well that if they stayed in the heat for too long their mood would sour, Arthur gently helped Arthur up as the two stripped down to swimming trunks. Giddy again, as soon as he was dressed in appropriate swimwear, Alfred dashed into the lake without a second thought, tipping his head back & sighing blissfully as the cool water lapped at his skin, no longer feeling like he was roasting in an oven.

Just as fast but in a calmer manner, Arthur followed him into the water and never let him stray too far or too deep lest he hurt himself, pushing past the slightly irritated complaints that 'he was fine' and 'the hero would never let that happen!'.

For the remainder of the day, the two simply spent their time with each other, be it sitting and relaxing on the grass banks, splashing around in the water, having a picnic, or, much to Alfred's delight, see how long you can pretend to be asleep before you open your eyes at your mate looking at you and make them practically jump out of their skin.

By now, the sun had long disappeared past the rich banks and the moon came it to play, her gentle radiating light offering a soft 'hello' to all those below her. Stars followed in her wake and spread their wings across the sky in a radiant plethora of deep blues and violets, twinkling meekly in their respective places. Arthur and Alfred, were for better terms, thoroughly exhausted as both lay on a thick woollen blanket (Alfred having another one draped over him due to Arthur's nagging) holding hands and gazing up at the stars.

Although the silence was comfortable, Alfred still went to break it. "It's days like these that really count, ain't it?"

"Indeed..." Arthur murmured, running his thumb over the back of the omega's hand.

"Someone's got their thinking face on." Alfred teased, moving a hand from his belly to playfully flick at the alpha's nose.

"Hmm..." Arthur hummed contently, letting out an amused snuff of air from his nose as a smile twitched from his lips and asked, "Do you think it'll be a boy or a girl?"

Surprised slightly by the question, but not shocked since they chose not to do ultrasound, Alfred replied, "To be honest...I'm not really sure dude. Some days I think it's a girl, other days I think it's a boy. It's super confusing."

Arthur let out a thoughtful sound and then responded, "I guess we'll just have to wait and see then won't we?"

The two cuddled for a little while longer until the cold of the night started to settle into their bones, and both agreed it'd be a wise time to go back home. Placing the picnic basket, blanket and soaked swimming trunks in the boot (he still refused to call it a drunk despite the American's influence) he made his way around to the front of the car and sitting in the drivers seat, he paused to take a look at the cute sight that greeted him and couldn't help but smile.

Alfred's head lay against the leather headrest, his hair slightly tousled from the daily activities and he held a pleasant expression on his face, eyes half lidded as if he was about to fall asleep. Closing the car door behind him, he buckled up and started the engine. Just when he was about to start off, he heard a quiet voice. "Look Artie." Turning his head to the source he saw Alfred's face half plastered to the window as fireflies illuminated the darkness all around the car. At that exact moment, the car's radio that turned on automatically, began playing fireflies by owl city. Arthur couldn't help but chuckle at the accuracy of the situation.

"_You would not believe your eyes, if ten million fire flies lit up the world as I fell asleep."_

With heavy lidded eyes, Alfred began to sing along to the song, admiring the fiasco happening around them. Arthur, not knowing the lyrics, merely hummed along but was enjoying the scenario none the less.

"_'Cause they'd fill the open air, and leave tear drops everywhere, you'd think me rude but I'd just stand and stare."_

As if enchanted, Alfred watches the fireflies dance gracefully around the car, his eyes taking in every movement in awe.

"_I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly, It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep, 'cause everything is never as it seems."_

Arthur's mind drifted back to the previous comment Alfred made, 'It's days like this that really count'. He reached out and held his mate's hand with unyielding love, Alfred couldn't have been more correct.

"_'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightening bugs as they tried to teach me how to dance..."_

Rolling down the window, Alfred stuck his hand out into the open air and smiled and how the bugs circulated around it, as if they wanted the hand itself to dance.

"_A foxtrot above my head, a sock hop beneath my bed, the disco ball is hanging by a thread."_

As the music continued to play on in the background, Alfred turned to face Arthur and asked genuinely confused, "What's a fox trot?"

Chuckling, not too surprised he wouldn't know what it was, he answered,

"It's a ballroom dance."

"Oh." Alfred responded, nodding his head as he worked around the other word in the song. By now the music had gone past the bridge and onto the final verse.

"_To ten million fireflies, I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes, I got misty eyed and they said farewell."_

Gradually, all of the fireflies had moved away from them and were slowly disappearing from their line of sight.

"_But I'll know where several are, if my dreams get real bizarre, 'cause I saved a few and kept them in a jar."_

The couple sat comfortably in the car. Another event like that would be unlikely, but they would always have their memories of the time. When the song got to it's final verses, Alfred was practically asleep as his head leant back against the headrest, eyelids slowly drooping forwards.

"_I'd like to make myself believe, that planet earth turns slowly. It's hard to say that I'd rather stay away when I'm asleep, because me dreams are bursting at the seams."_

After the song had finished, Arthur quickly turned off the radio and removed his mate's glasses, placing them carefully in the glove compartment but as his hand moved to go to the steering wheel, another weakly caught it.

"Hey Arthur?" Alfred questioned, voice heavy with sleep as his eyelids fluttered.

"Yes love?" Arthur responded, smiling at the display.

"Thank you for making this dream come true."

The words had caught Arthur off guard making him blush at the strong meaning behind them, but Alfred was no longer there to see him as he had already fallen into the world of dreams. Smiling to himself, he placed a chaste kiss atop his forehead before driving home.

"Sweet dreams, Alfred."

* * *

Present day

"My, you really are kicking a lot today aren't you?" Alfred mused quietly to himself as he fixed a red white and blue table cloth over the sturdy picnic bench outside. _Maybe the baby is just as patriotic as I am..._Laughing outwardly at the thought, has rested his hand on his now considerably swollen stomach and made his way back inside to garner up more decorations for independence day. Even though Arthur could really care hell about the day being British and all, he still went along with it just to make Alfred happy, just like Alfred went along with bonfire night. _Because come on, who celebrates killing a dude?_ Were Alfred's first thoughts upon hearing that.

Entering the cool house he breathed a sigh of relief as the air conditioner instantly hit his skin. He loved the heat and all, he truly did, but with his pregnancy he could become snappy if he decided to pull a Jesus run for 40 days, _okay maybe not as bad but..._His thoughts were interrupted at the sound of the front door being opened and the sound of Arthur's voice echoing somewhat throughout the house,

"Alfred, I'm back."

Walking around to the front door, Alfred saw the rather comical image of Arthur holding multiple shopping bags and failing miserably to balance them.

"Can I help?" Alfred asked in an amused tone, smug smile widening as the Brit tried to shift the bags to ease the weight into a more manageable angle, but to no avail. Eyebrows pinched as he processed the question, after a little bit of fumbling, he passed Alfred the largest bags, though they were the lightest as they held nothing but napkins, cardboard plates and various other items that really wouldn't be a strain. Honestly, Arthur would have much preferred to have not given him anything to carry at all, but the least time that happened Alfred not only had a bit of a temper tantrum, but went and picked up a weight to prove that he was capable of still carrying things, and although he was unharmed, the thought of him being harmed still scared Arthur.

"Do you really think we'll need this much?" Arthur asked somewhat wearily as the placed the shopping bags on the kitchen island, pulling the items out and putting them in their respective places.

"Of course we do!" Alfred exclaimed, grinning like a mad man as he spread his arms wide to stretch. "4th of July is like, America day dude."

A light hearted chuckle escaped Arthur as he listened to his mate's explanation, but he really didn't think they'd need all the food that they bought, but, knowing Alfred's friends, they'd probably wolf it all down.

"Is the bunting up?" Arthur questioned as he looked around the 'not yet Americanised' home.

Pausing in his rambling about freedom and heroic justice, Alfred paused and realised he forgot to put it up, at least, on areas easier to reach. Ladders were just too dangerous to him in his current stage, at least in Arthur's opinion.

"I'll go put it up now!" He stated, grabbing the bunting in a dash and running to the outside of the house to start pinning it up.

"Just don't strain yourself!" Arthur called after him, but he was already gone.

Panting quietly for air, Alfred rested himself on the steps f their porch. It had started out well enough, simply putting up the bunting in anticipation for the day and enjoying the summer heat. However, half way around the house, he started to feel cramps. They would stay for a little while and then leave, eventually coming back again, each time becoming more painful.

_I probably ate something bad..._Alfred reasoned in his head, brushing away any other stray thoughts. Feeling nature calling to him, he rested his hand on the wooden railing and heaved himself up, making his way to the bathroom. However, even after relieving himself (which looked to be quite a lot of liquid this time, even though he didn't really feel the need to pee) he still felt uncomfortable and the cramps were coming more frequently, and in higher intensity. With a quietened groan he gently eased himself onto the couch, fingers roaming over his tightening stomach.

_Wait...cramps, more liquid, tightening stomach..._as his mind slowly pieced the evidence together, he came to the startling conclusion that he was in fact, going into labour. _OH. CRAP._

With a shrill cry of his mate's name, he heard loud footfall as Arthur came skidding into the living room, a terrified expression on his face.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Questions were fired at Alfred as the man brushed his hands over him, as if looking for an injury.

"I think I'm going into labour." Alfred squeaked, even though he would deny it later and heroes do not squeak, this whole labour thing seemed a little scary.

Arthur's eyes widened in shock for the briefest of moments, knowing that Alfred was due two weeks later, but quickly pushed that matter aside for other times. He silently offered a hand to Alfred and helped him up as much as he could murmuring "We need to get to the hospital." under his breath. Alfred needed a strong alpha now, and Arthur was certainly not ready to disappoint, especially since he was going into labour.

Opening the car door, he gentle helped Alfred inside, buckling him up as well as the poor boy seemed unable to do so himself due to the cramps. Sliding into his side of the car, he sent a sideways glance at Alfred.

The well built, 5'9, slightly tanned man lay in the leather passenger seat of a ford, panting heavily in deep, ragged breaths and occasionally letting out a little pained whine. His hands, which were nervously entangled in each other and kept fidgeting were calmed by a smaller and less calloused pair as cerulean blue met emerald green, both nervous but the latter emitting a stability that he could never muster, making small waves of relaxation roll over him.

Before the taller could voice his thoughts, a firm yet gentle voice resounded,

"We'll get there in time and everything will be fine, I promise you."

Offering a small smile, the green eyed man visibly calmed from the other's reaction, and leant over in his seat, placing a gentle hand on the other's swelled bump, and added,

"It'll be fine, for all of us. I'll make sure of it."

With a quick kiss from the other man, he buckled up and accelerated to the hospital without another thought in his mind.

* * *

Present time

Cars sped by them without a second glance as the couple rushed to the hospital. Even though they weren't speeding, they certainly weren't out for a relaxing Sunday drive down the near empty streets as many people were at home celebrating independence day, and for once, Arthur was grateful for it. Stepping on the brakes, Arthur parked in the hospital lot and quickly turned to Alfred. Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, he asked,

"Do you think you can walk?"

Through strained breaths Alfred nodded hastily, his unruly cow lick bouncing along but seeming more lacklustre. Hastily getting out of the car, Arthur moved to Alfred's side and after unbuckling him, he helped the man up, carrying most of his weight. Locking the door behind him with the keys, the two slowly made their way to the hospital as Alfred's legs wobbled with every step, a dull pain coursing through them, his back and his stomach.

Upon arriving inside and explaining their current predicament, they were both quickly whisked away by a flurry of nurses (as the majority didn't have anything better to do, firework treatment would come in later that night) and through multiple sterile corridors, eventually finding themselves on the left wing of the maternity ward.

Grunting in pain, Alfred was eased down onto a sheet less hospital bed as all but one nurse was left in the room as the others dispersed to find a doctor at hand. Soon after, Alfred was stripped into a hospital gown and had his vitals along with other various things tested before he was laying on the bed again, back resting against the pillows with his legs bent and spread slightly apart, panting in between breaks of around a minute.

Pulling up a chair, Arthur sat beside his mate, taking the omega's hand into his and stroked his thumb comfortingly over it, receiving a squeeze in response.

"Are you all right love?"

Slowly, Alfred turned to Arthur and couldn't resist the urge to deadpan him, but despite the response, Arthur knew Alfred was joking and they were soon chuckling over the matter. Alfred was about to voice his true thoughts when a professional looking beta strode into the room, his silky black hair tied back neatly behind him. Calmly he approached the couple, nodding his head slightly in a greeting.

"Mr. Kirkland and Mr. Jones I presume?"

Arthur nodded politely in response but Alfred gave a small way, making the corner's of Arthur's mouth almost turn into a smirk at his Partner's stubbornness to remain full of energy even when in pain. Allowing himself to smile a little too, the doctor introduced himself.

"I'm doctor Wang Yao, and I'll be assisting you through your labour, aru." Picking up the clipboard at the end of the bed, Yao nodded and then looked over to them again with a sigh. "Dr. Honda was supposed to be assigned to you as I'm sure you know him, but it seems he has fallen ill & cannot come into work today."

"Aww man, poor Kiku..." Alfred murmured, but quickly stopped sulking not wanting to be moody. However, as another contraction started up again, he winced, his other hand instinctively snaking up to his belly as if to calm the child.

Ochre eyes twinkled in mild concern as the doctor snapped on a pair of latex gloves, ignoring the distraught husband and slowly felt along Alfred so he could get a good idea of how far along in labour he was.

"Alfred, has your water broken?"

All he received was a grunt in reply and his eyebrow twitched slightly annoyed at the vague response.

"Is that a yes or a no, aru?"

"Y-yeah." Alfred gritted out, letting his head flop against the pillow as the contractions became more severe. Arthur's hand squeezed his more in comfort.

"Was there any blood?" Yao asked in a neutral tone, pulling back up to scribble down some notes on a piece of paper.

"U-um, I'm not s-sure." Alfred stuttered, a little freaked out at the question.

"Don't worry love, it's all routine." Arthur cooed, gentle carding his fingers through his mate's hair. Alfred hummed contently (well, as much as one could in labour) and didn't flinch as Yao ran a swab over his vagina. _Probably to test for something_ he reasoned.

As Yao threw his gloves into the bin and hurriedly ushered himself out of the room to 'check something', the nurse from before stepped into practice and placed two pieces of equipment on Alfred, one to measure the contractions and the other to monitor the baby's heartbeat.

"H-how long is this going to last?" Alfred half asked half panted, looking up at the nurse in question, already getting tired from the ordeal.

The said person tilted her head in thought, before humming and replied, "Usually active labour takes about 8 hours...this is your first time right?"

Alfred nodded, not liking the times.

The nurse continued after the nod. "It shouldn't last longer than 18 hours. Then the birth of the baby itself can last up to 2 hours."

Gulping, Alfred took in light of the situation. He had heard from other mother's that it could be long and painful, his poor brother Matt had gone through 20 hours, but it still seemed slightly, no scratch that, extremely unnerving. Another contraction can in again, making him grip on tighter to Arthur's hand.

Sensing his mate's distress, Arthur ran his free hand up and down Alfred's arm, hoping to calm his nerves but knowing there was little else he could do other than that. "Shh, you're fine love, you're all right." Gentle nothings were cooed into his ear softly, building up security around him and making him feel more comfortable.

Suddenly, Yao burst back into the room, making 2/3 of the people in there jump, but the nurse knew he was quick on his feet despite his age and was unfazed by it. Being met by two curious gazes, Yao remembered what he was doing and quickly explained to them,

"The swab was to check if there were any amniotic fluids, which there were, meaning that you're labour is far along enough we can administrate you to the hospital, aru."

As much as Alfred thought Yao was a decent guy, he seriously wanted to slap him for thinking that he might _not _be in serious enough labour and was well enough to be sent home. However his thoughts were cut short as the doctor put on another pair of gloves and bent down so he could fully examine Alfred's lower regions, _as if he hasn't seen enough_ Alfred thought in embarrassment, spreading his legs a little wider to the request as Yao brought up a ruler.

With a thoughtful click of his tongue, the doctor stepped back again and threw away his gloves to scribble down something that Alfred could care less about at the moment.

"You're about 4cm wide at the moment, and when you get to 10 you'll be fully dilated, aru. Let me know when you feel the need to push."

With that, Yao proceeded to exit the room yet again to go and do God knows what whilst the two were left in the room with the nurse, of whom was surprisingly dutiful. _This is gonna be a long day_ Alfred thought.

Arthur never left Alfred's side, except when nature called but no one could but that off for very long, and had stayed by his bedside tentatively. It was now early evening, and since the contractions had practically no spaces in between them any more, Yao was called back in and, after finding he was fully dilated to 10cm, Alfred was ready to give birth.

Gazing into those familiar sky blue orbs, he held his sweaty hand and nodded at him, whispering,

"You can do it."

Looking at the confidence Arthur's eyes held, _always_ held, he shakily nodded back, taking deep breaths, and with Yao's thumbs up from in front of him with a towel and gloved hands, he took a deep breath and pushed.

And dear God the pain was excruciating. Fire seemed to tear at his skin as he felt the extremely heavy pressure begin to move inside him, stretching him further than he thought he could be. Gripping onto Arthur's hand like it was a lifeline, he continued to take deep breaths as the contraction passed, and then pushed again when it returned.

By now, as much as Alfred loved his child, he really just wanted to get it over with. A saline drip bag had been attached to him so he didn't loose too many liquids and the baby's heart monitor next to him was increasing in it's pace.

"Deep breaths Alfred, aru." Yao stated as his hands waited patiently for the first signs of crowning.

Nodding, Alfred took in breaths of the much needed oxygen he had deprived his body of when pushing and was given a small smile from Arthur as he went to push again. The fiasco continued for about five minutes, which Alfred found particularly draining, until the doctor announced,

"The baby is crowning."

"Okay...okay..." Alfred muttered to himself, building up courage even though his inner hero was screaming at him to not be such a baby. Praises and encouragements were currently being whispered into his ear and even though he felt rather wimpy and didn't show it, he was thankful for them. Steeling himself, he took a deep breath, and used all of his strength in that one push.

Alfred swore he would split in two. It was like burning blocks of cinder were being shoved into his hips, pressure and burning sensation throughout, and as a scream tore from his throat, he could have sworn he heard the tell tale sound of something snapping.

Panting and red faced from the ordeal, Alfred struggled to catch his breath as the pressure considerably lessened from his pelvis and relief rolled over him, evident in his eyes and the way his whole body slumped slightly, legs wobbling from the effort. Supporting the baby's head with his hand's Yao called out to Alfred,

"Only a little more now, aru."

Nodding for what felt like the thousandth time that day, he slowly gathered his energy up again, tearing up slightly at the pain, and, with one final push, a cry other than Alfred's was heard in the room.

With careful and precise movements, the doctor and nurse quickly rinsed the baby somewhat to rid it of the blood and then wrapped the crying infant in a towel after snipping the umbilical cord and putting a peg on it and passed it to Alfred who accepted it numbly.

"It's a girl." The beta announced, pulling back somewhat to let the couple revel in this family moment. Arthur simply stared down in awe at her tiny form, her crying dying down and limbs twitching in discomfort at the cool hospital air. But when she opened her eyes, his breath was ripped away.

It was the exact same sky blue eyes as Alfred's, innocent and boundless with unlimited expanse, just like the sky on a brilliant summers day, and now he had two pairs to cherish. He couldn't help but let a tear slip by.

"Oh Alfred..."

Alfred by now was trying not to be an emotional wreck, and the exhaustion helped somewhat, but he let a few tears slide past too as he looked at the baby girl, _their_ baby girl who instinctively snuggled closer to him for warmth.

However, as the nurse stepped up, the family moment was cut short when she announced, somewhat unbelieving,

"The baby heart monitor is still going..."

Brows furrowed in confusion, all of the people in the room looked to the doctor, who seemed to be in deep though himself until his head shot up and he asked,

"Alfred, aru, did you know you might have twins?"

Shocked at the initial statement it took a while before it sunk into his him due to exhaustion, and with strained gears turning, her replied,

"We didn't get any scans so the gender would be a surprise..."

With a nod, Yao brought himself back to the previous position, swapping the bloodied towel with a clean one and replied, "I think you may be having twins then. The contractions should start again soon, aru."

Arthur, who was idly listening to the conversation sat there stunned, realised what this all implied and exclaimed,

"We're having twins?!" _Well_ he thought, surprised by the situation, _that somewhat explains a fewsituations._

"Aiyah, don't be so loud." The doctor hissed, motioning to the child dozing slightly on Alfred's chest and to the poor Omega himself who looked to be in quite a nervous state. "It shouldn't take as long since he's already stretched."

At a loss for words, Arthur quickly went to comfort Alfred, holding their daughter for him whilst he gentle held his hands, rubbing his thumb over the back of it and murmuring 'you're fine' and 'it'll be all right'. Even though he didn't think it was doing much, the calming pheromones in the air relaxed Alfred to a state where he could understand and at least somewhat accept his situation, even though it was completely unexpected.

As the feelings of numbness eventually ebbed away, Alfred groaned as he felt the all too familiar burning sensation in his lower region and as pressure moved to his pelvis once again. Perspiration dotted his brow as he once again took in deep, even breaths, pushing past the pain and using the new found determination to get him through another birth.

Pushing his second out was like running a marathon after a person was near drowned and both legs were strapped down with lead weights. Whining at the discomfort, he propped himself up a bit higher, amazed he even had the strength to do that, and, much like his daughter's birth, the child came out with a final cry of pain and exhaustion from the mother as the new born joined in.

For the second time that night, the doctor picked up the child, swiftly cutting the umbilical cord and putting a peg on it and proceeded to wash the excess blood from the child. Wrapping it up in another towel, he passed the child onto the half passed out Alfred who accepted it wordlessly, but tears brimmed anew in his eyes.

"Is it another girl?" Alfred asked, too tired to lift his arm to move the blanket and find out the gender as Arthur soothed him.

With a chuckle, Yao replied, "No, this one's a boy."

Much like the previous time, the little boy's eyes opened up to look at his parent's, but unlike the mother's genes, he had inherited his father's eyes. Striking forest green stared back at Alfred with curiosity, his chubby hands moving and grasping nothing but air, aiming to reach his mother's face but was too small. This time, Alfred was in awe from such a thing.

After being cleaned up, and much to his displeasure, having his umbilical cords pulled out by the nurse, which hurt like hell he'd like to add, the two were finally relatively alone in their hospital room, the loud bangs of fireworks evident outside as bright colours illuminated the inky black sky.

"We forgot to tell them the party was cancelled..." Alfred mumbled, laughing quietly as he pictured his brother's freaked out face probably thinking they were kidnapped.

"Hardly matters now." Arthur responded in an amused tone, holding his daughter as Alfred held their son.

"What should we call them?" Alfred asked, head resting against the pillows as he gazed at his mate, thoroughly exhausted from the whole day.

With a hum, Arthur replied, "I'm not quite sure...any ideas of your own?"

Smirking to himself as he though Arthur would never ask him that in fear of Alfred naming their children freedom and liberty, he took the question into great consideration, before responding,

"I'd like to call the girl Amelia..."

With a curious gaze Arthur nodded, quite liking the name as well. "By any chance do you know what it means?"

Alfred smiled, eyes somewhat distant as he recalled, "It means to strive, exceed or rival."

Looking down at his daughter, Arthur wouldn't be surprised if she held the same amount of energy and excitement as Alfred normally did, exceeding the expectations of others. _Yes_, he thought with a smile of his own, _that name would work quite well._ Looking over to his son however, he asked,

"Do you have any suggestions for him?"

Gently, Alfred brushed his fingertips over the crown of the baby's head, careful to mind the gentle skull and answered, "No actually," He laughed looking back at Arthur, "I have no clue for him."

Leaning back slightly in his chair, Arthur contemplated over the name they could give their youngest by minutes, when a thought struck him.

"How about Theodore?" He asked somewhat hopefully.

With an uncertain sound, Alfred responded,

"It sounds a bit old...what does it mean?"

"It means an unexpected gift from God." Arthur answered, glad he could think of at least one semi-religious name.

"I'm still not certain on it..." Alfred hummed, not wanting to outright push away Arthur's idea, but still not really liking the sound of the name. It just didn't, well...fit.

Although somewhat disheartened, Arthur wasn't going to question Omega instincts, but his mood quickly bounced back up again, emerald eyes alight when he remembered one.

"How about Arden?"

With a thoughtful and light sound, Alfred nodded his head, smiling towards Arthur. "What does it mean?"

He replied instantly, eyes sparkling with exuberance, which was rather uncharacteristic of him, and he had to calm himself so he wouldn't drop their child.

"It means great forest, like his eyes..." He trailed off with a slight blush on his cheeks, embarrassed at how, well omega-ish he sounded. So much for a strong and dominant Alpha.

Alfred couldn't help but chuckle at how Arthur could blush at the strangest things at the most unexpected times, but stopped laughing none the less as it wouldn't cool his embarrassment.

"It fits him perfectly." Alfred whispered, gazing longingly at the child in his arms, wishing for him to never grow up and yet wanting him too as well.

Resuming his normal stance & supporting Amelia's head with his arm, he smiled at the comment, and added,

"It's also from a Shakespeare work too, called 'as you like it'."

Laughing, Alfred replied, "It's just so you to fit Shakespeare wherever you can."

Deciding to play along, he retorted, "How else do you think it get all the Omegas?" With a wiggle of his large eyebrows.

By now, Alfred was laughing silently, trying not to make too much noise to avoid waking the children and also not to move as he was incredibly sore. The two happily chatted in hushed tones as fireworks decorated the night in front of them. No amount of knowledge could have ever prepared them for this, but that was just what made parenthood so beautiful.

* * *

_Fin._

* * *

**A/N: Yes, it was necessary of me to add that little fin in at the end, everybody loves Finland! Joking, joking. This is probably the biggest one-shot I've every written...hope you guys enjoyed it! Feel free to leave constructive criticism! Oh, and before I forget...**

*******surströmming is a Swedish cuisine which consists of fermented Baltic herring and I'm telling you now, it is probably the saltiest thing one can ever eat, along with being so smelly it was banned on British airways, it's just that potent people. Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading! Bye bye! **

***Cries in a corner* I'm sad this story is over...**


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